


Christmas Comes but Thrice a Year

by 01zesty01



Category: Happiest Season (2020)
Genre: F/F, M/M, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:35:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27786106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/01zesty01/pseuds/01zesty01
Summary: Christmas comes but thrice a yearBut this one really does bring cheerWho will leave, and who will we shipWho will end up joined by the hip.Not just one, but instead threeTo find out who, you'll just have to read and see.
Relationships: Harper Caldwell/Abby Holland, Jane Caldwell/Riley Johnson, John/Connor, Sloane Caldwell/Riley Johnson
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

Abbie sat watching Harper as she laughed and chatted with her friends. “Some friends” she thought “they clearly haven’t been in any closet opening conversations”. She reached over to the drinks caddy next to her chair and poured a spiced cocktail concoction. The seat next to her moved slightly closer as she took a sip and turned to her other side. “Things must be bad if your drinking the Christmas punch”. Abbie recognised the voice before she even faced the speaker, Riley. “It’s like I’m this dirty secret, I thought I was her life and she was mine but” she raised her glass in the direction of Harper and her friends and proceeded to gulp down half the glass of punch. 

“She’s terrified, honestly its like watching a replay, its hard to watch but I’m sure she’ll get there”

“But what if she doesn’t? I was going to propose to the person I love, but I don’t know who that is”

Riley reached over the front of Abbie, her perfume leaving a sweet trail along her path and he hand lightly brushing on her left arm as it rested there and squeezed just a little. The touch surprised Abbie, not from the shock of someone other than Harper doing so but from the need of such a touch over the last few days being met. She turned over to face Riley just as she pulled back into her own seat. “Here” said Riley as she passed her a drink “This is the stuff you need”. She took the punch from Abbie, clinked glasses and downed the punch, making a face and a disapproving slur at the taste. 

Harper was enjoying catching up with her friends but she felt half a person without Abbie by her side. She knew she wasn’t being a good partner but she knew how her parents would react, she couldn’t go through the loss of family over Christmas and it was only a few days to get through. She had tuned out too long in her thoughts and had missed the conversation. She smiled and released a small laugh. Her friends looked at her blankly.

“Well, come on how long did you stay out with Connor”. She clicked back into the conversation, of course they were digging for info. “Not long, it was nice to catch up after so long”. “Hmm yes, catch up, of course” one of them said winking to the other spurring a smaller separate exchange of thoughts on their versions of what the night could have been. Harper tuned out again as she looked across at Abbie and smiled. The smile was however short lived as her eyes carried on to see Riley. Abbie was smiling and seemed happier than she had seen her in the last few days. Why was it Riley was always at these family events, reminding her, tormenting her. Of course it wasn’t Riley’s fault but it made Harper feel uneasy. “Harper, how’s the head?” asked Connor as he honed into the group. “Ladies”. “Oh hi Connor, we were just heading to the powder room, do you mind keeping Harper company until we are back?”. He looked a little shyly at Harper and smiled “of course not”. 

Abbie looked over to Harper, the friends had left and Connor was there. They were alone, likely catching up but very close. An anger burnt inside her as she felt betrayed. Every smile, every brush of the arm should have been her but instead Harper was living a lie, a lie where Abbie didn’t exist. Riley noticed and tried to bring her back round. “We can always take off and go to The Oxwood again? Always fancied Mrs Claus for Christmas! She only gets one night without Santa a year and I’d love to show her what she’s missing”. It gained a small laugh and drew back Abbie’s attention temporarily. “I’d kill for a beer”. The smile was however short lived and her eyes turned back to Harper. She downed the drink and took off for the door. 

John exited the car and looked up at the mansion that stood in front of him. There were two lit Christmas trees on either side of the large but welcoming front door. He took a breath in followed by a sigh as he reached for the door handle. “Well this should be entertaining” he thought to himself as he twisted the knob “at least this will make up for the fish”. 

The hall which welcomed him was thoroughly decked, with garland cascading down the bannister, mistletoe hanging from the ceiling. No surface lay bare and no sooner had his mouth dropped open by the sheer amount of Christmas bursting from the room it snapped shut again when he realised how many people filled the hall and the rooms leading out on either side. His eyes scanned looking for Abbie. He clocked some older couples chatting in the room to the left and took a step to the left. In the corner of his eye he saw Harper at the back of the far right room talking with a man. Harper was in a high waisted skirt with a smart blouse tucked in and was stroking the mans arm. A small gasp of shock left Johns mouth which he almost immediately sucked back in as his eyes fell on the biceps she was stroking. The man was wearing a tight fitting suit but his muscles were defined enough to show through. 

His eyes darted up to the face as he silently judged, eyes now wondering south when - “John” Abbie called as she grabbed his arms swinging him to face her. “What are you doing here?”. I just drove 3 hours in my crappy car to come save your ass is what he wanted to say but he thought better of it in the present company. “That phone call was a cry for help if I ever heard one and I told you I was tracking you” he said quietly between closed lips. Before Abbie could answer Tipper approached. “And who might you be?” she asked. Abbie interjected immediately, “This is John my ex and he’s here because…” “Because I’m here to win back that big juicy heart of course” John finished. “Well I would have liked some prior notice but as you’re here do enjoy” responded Tipper smiling, and she continued off to the left room.  
Abbie let out a “thanks” as she pulled in John for a hug. With her arms around him she could see back towards Harper. The hand running on Connors bicep was too much. She felt her legs move beneath her. There was no stopping, she kept walking, each step closer to Harper. She could feel the words boiling up inside her. As she reached the pair it spilled out filled with emotion. 

“Its over Harper, It’s over I’m gone” 

Harpers heart sank the words hit hard, piercing her hear and her eyes darted as she thought what to do. Connor was taking in the scene and looked over towards Dan and the direction Abbie was walking. His eyes scanned the new person as he tried to make sense of the scene. Whatever Abbie meant it was not good. His eyes followed until they disappeared around the corner. “What was that?” he asked. “I erm, I , nothing it’s er, I, I’ll be right back” and she raced out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

With the anger continuing to bubble and erupt inside, Abby made her way down to the basement bedroom. Flinging open the unlockable door she reached for her stay bag and slung it on the bed. She had packed light when she came. She shoved some clothes into the bag and made her way to the bathroom to grab toiletries. As she re-entered the bedroom Harper burst in.

“Please Abby, I don’t want to lose you, I can’t lose you, I love you!” tears streamed down her cheeks as the raw emotion began to flow. 

“I can’t, I can’t stay here when the person I love pretends I don’t exist, in fact its worse than that you don’t even stand up for me. I’m just a huge inconvenience”.   
“No, no it’s just so hard, I can’t lose my family, not over Christmas” sobbed Harper as she took hold of Abby pulling her close “Please, I know if I say something I’ll lose them, but if I don’t I’ll lose you”. “I can’t pretend, I’m done hiding, I want to be who I am, I was looking forward to spending Christmas with the person I love, but I don’t even know who this version of you is!”. Pulling her closer, lips almost touching Harper responded “I know, I” before she could finish in the corner of her eye she noticed Sloane standing at the open door.

-3-

Connor let John through the hallways of the house. Periodically John stopped to gasp unapprovingly at some of the décor, or just to comment on the sheer size of the house. “So you’ve known Harper a while?” Asked John. As they walked Connor explained that they had dated a long time ago but Harper had become distant.

“I’ve been trying to speak to her since she got back actually but its like she just doesn’t want to talk, something is up, she’s not telling me something, but I don’t want to bring anything up if she’s not in the place to hear it”. John took a larger step forward, so he was Infront of Connor, and turned to face him blocking the corridor. The movement was swift, but he had misjudged the space and found himself right on the edges of personal space. 

“Do you want to talk about it with me”.

Instinctively Connors right foot moved back to create space, but he didn’t complete the step. Instead he felt comfortable, safe and almost ready to open-up. His lips parted and he was about to share but something stopped him and instead bottled it “Thanks, but I think I need to say it to Harper first”. John frowned a little as he tried to figure out the cryptic message, but it was short lived and he turned to continue walking down the hall. Changing topic, he cracked a little joke “so where’s the elevator”. Almost immediately and dead faced Connor responded, “They had to uninstall them on account of the twins, and the blood”. Gasping John turned around again before the realisation he’d been had. He bit his lip and faced forward again, “good one”

-3- 

“I knew it” whispered Sloan. “I KNEW IT” she shouted with some new found energy. “Just you wait until mom and dad hear about this”. Harper immediately let go of Abby 

“What no, it’s not what you think” she took a step towards Sloane but it was the wrong move. Sloane realising the advantage she had gained turned on her heals and ran. Harper caught her before the stairs and pulled her hair back “No!”. Sloane breaking free ran up the stairs out of sight, Harper following quickly behind. 

Abby stood for a second not sure what to do. Her legs gave way and she sat onto the bed behind her. How could Harper deny it still. The anger which had nearly left returned and she knew she had to leave. John would be able to take her home. She picked up the bag, stuffed in the toiletries and slung it over her shoulder as she made off up the stairs in search of John.

“Ergh this hallway goes on forever, what’s in here?” he opened a door to the right “oo.. bathroom larger than my apartment” He noted dryly. Closing the door he opened the next on the left “Reading room, no Library… but where’s the typewriter … guess the budget was a bit too stretched”. Connor looked on smiling. They moved on and just as John was twisting the door handle to open the next door some whaling came from down the corridor. It was definitely coming in their direction, getting louder very, very quickly. John looked up still twisting the door handle. 

“Argghh don’t you dare!”

“Just you watch me, your time has come squeaky cheeks!”. 

“Harper!” - “Sloane!” exclaimed John and Connor in unison. The girls came bounding up the nearby stairs grappling each others hair . Harper was trying to pull back Sloane but she was pulling forward with purpose. Abby was trailing behind in a state of almost constant shock. “Oh dear lord” said John. He grabbed Connors hand and pulled towards him, swinging open the door. “Oooohhhuuuchhh” came the noise from the cleaning closet. 

Connor pulled John back and they looked into the closet space mouths dropping to the floor. Eric was stood, zipper open with Carolyn crouched in front. “Well there’s a half decent Christmas present” joked John. At that moment Harper and Sloane reached the door opening and stopped dead in their tracks. Sloane looked disappointedly at the pair “seriously the broom cupboard?!”. 

“Wait what?” asked Harper very confused. “Ok it’s not as bad as it looks, were getting a divorce” as soon as the words came out her mouth she regretted it. “Don’t you even, yours is worse, I found out first I’m doing this”. The screaming continued as they wrestled down the hallway out of sight. Abby looked over at John, he could see she had been crying, 

“I’ll meet you at the front door” she said and she continued down the hall. Eric zipped up but Carolyn just grabbed the handle and pulled the door closed again leaving Connor and John alone again in the open corridor. “Well I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to miss whatever that was about” said Connor..


End file.
